


You're my world now

by nashapixie



Category: Fast & Furious (2009), Fast and the Furious Series
Genre: Canonical Character Death, F/M, Letty is a good bro, M/M, Parent Brian O'Conner, Past Brian/Mia - Freeform, Past Letty/Dom, and awesome aunt, they're cool too, uncle Rome, uncle Tej
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2020-01-05 14:32:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18367970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nashapixie/pseuds/nashapixie
Summary: There's something Brian never told the Torettos while he was undercover: he has a daughter. Now that he gets another chance to be a good dad and fix things for Dom, what will he do?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So... this is the second time I decided to write a fanfic and the first time I'm actually going to post it, so any help, correction and concrit are welcomed, specially since english it's not my first language. 
> 
> I love Brian x Dom and there aren't many recent works, so that gave me the courage to write this down, since I love them so much! And was really sad when Paul died... I guess this a good way to keep his memory alive...
> 
> So I hope you like this little prologue, I'm not sure when the next update it's going to be since I still haven't finished the next chapter... I write when the inspiration hits.

When he first accepted the undercover job that would lead him to meet the Torettos he didn't know how much that would change his life, how he would start completely alone and end up with quite an unconventional family, but a real family nonetheless, something he never knew and never realized he needed until that moment.

While he hadn't really lied a lot, Brian Spilner was a lot like Brian O'Conner after all, he had kept quiet about something or rather someone important: Amanda, his daughter. 

Not that he could tell much about his little 3 years old, he wasn't actually involved in her life, he didn't know how to be a father after all, not having had one while he grew up kinda screw it for him or so he thought when he found out he was going to be a dad.

Don't get him wrong, he loves his little girl, but it wasn't like he was in a relationship with her mother and they both agreed that she could do better on her own, specially with his undercover jobs at LAPD taking up most of his time. So Amanda lives with her mother and grandparents (he can't even give her those), he visits occasionally to see how much she’s grown, wrings some gift and life goes on.

Until the trucks heist case, until he became part of the Toretto family, until he lost them and his job and had to run away from the cops, leaving everything behind, including his precious daughter. Then he understood what he was missing, the chance he was wasting being away from her life.

The Verone case gave him the opportunity to change all that, he decided to be an active part of Amanda’s life, specially since learning when he returned to LA that her mother had died a couple of month ago in a car accident (the irony of that wasn't lost on him) and her grandpa was battling against cancer.

Thanks to his success in undercover gigs the feds decided they could use his skills, so they offered a job and he took it, he had a daughter to maintain after all. Most of the time he had to go under, but he made sure that's his covers always allowed him to see Amanda most of the time, luckily she has her mom's surname so he didn't have to worry about blowing his cover. 

He wasn't a religious person but some superior being must be up there that gave him the chance to be the father of such a great child, not only was she really smart but also a kind and honest to god good kid, that accepted him even though he wasn't for almost 4 years of her life, loved him unconditionally and supported his job choice.

So he worked a lot, saw his little girl grow up, taught her about car (she’s even more of a gearhead than he is) and let uncle Rome spoil her a little. He might have lost his chance with the Toretto family but he wasn't gonna screw this one.

So when one day Letty called out of the blue he knew that no matter what she was going to ask he would give it to her, because he owed her, he owed all of them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Letty's back and meets with Brian, wich leads to quite the surprises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished the next chapter! Now the story really begins, hope you like it.
> 
> Again, comments and concrits are welcomed

Letty set up the first meeting after 5 years in a nondescript bar with low lights where everybody minded their own business and would soon forget you where there.

You could see those past years on her, probably in all of us, but she was even more sure of herself than ever. And with that surety she laid down what she wanted: a deal for Dom. And she had the meanings for it to, something that he couldn't get no matter how much he wanted it, she had heard about a drug lord who was looking for drivers at street races, so she guessed that the feds would surely be interested and since she found out he was one he got to be the lucky (or maybe unlucky) one to take the info to.

\- So… how you been? I assumed you would be with Dom - he said while holding his bottle beer, Corona obviously, some things you just can't let go.

\- You're really asking me this? - she retorted with a hard face.

\- I know you probably won't believe me but I did care about you guys... you were the first family I ever got to be part of... that's why I didn't turn you in when I stopped lying to myself and admitted that you were pulling the truck heists. Heck! you know I even gave Dom the car so he could run away! - he took a deep breath to regain his calm, he wasn't supposed to lose his shit just like that, it was all in the past after all, right?

\- Yeah, I know. You weren't so bad even if you were a cop just like Vince always said - she gave him a crooked smile with that last sentence and suddenly he felt like 5 years ago, learning how to have a sister.

\- Hey, I would love to keep chatting but I gotta go, want me to drop you somewhere? Are you staying with Mia? - 

\- No, I haven't been to the house yet, not sure I'm ready to see it or Mia without Dom - 

\- Well if you don't have where to go you can crash at my house if you like? I have a spare bedroom you can use - he said while leaving some bucks on the table and heading to the door.

\- The busters house... that I gotta see, what are you really like hmmm? - now that she was teasing he felt a bit more relaxed and less apprehensive about the important truth he was about to share:

\- Well, for starters I'm a single dad… - he held his breath waiting for her reaction, that hopefully would be good, while he began driving his boring work sedan.

\- Holy shit! You're kidding me right!? - well, her expression was priceless, but some days he still couldn't believe it so it wasnt that unexpected. 

\- Nope, not even a little bit, her name’s Amanda and you're about to meet her. We’re going to pick her up now. - and he gave her a bright and proud smile.

 

Of course as soon as she met his little girl she loved her, how could you not? With long curly blond hair like his, green eyes like her mom, bright smile, smarter than most and car lover. He was going to suffer a lot when she hits puberty.

They picked her up at hers grandma's house, she usually took care of her while he was working. She was really excited to finally meet somebody from the famous Toretto’s crew so she took to Letty instantly. 

By the time they got to their house Letty was past the initial shock and enjoying a long debate about muscle cars with Amanda. His own daughter loved more the classic american cars than the new imports he preferred… since Letty seemed quite happy about this, and Dom would too if he ever found out, he didn't feel so bad. At least she didn't mock him for his tastes.

Once in the house they started to make dinner, something that both surprised and amused Letty a lot, since she remembered that he could barely cook when he hanged out with them.

\- You’re really full of surprises now, don't you buster?

\- Well when you have to take care of a little girl you kinda don't have a choice. Besides it was the least I could do since I missed her first years, she already knew lots of things when she started living with me - he said sadly, he would always regret failing her in that time, so he’ll make it up the rest of his life - luckily her grandma took pity on me and decided to teach me. I started with simple things that Amanda liked and went from there. Now she teaches us both more complicated things.

\- Well looks like fatherhood has done you some good Brian, your girl is lucky to have you - she said softly and it felt like she had forgiven everything he’d done.

When they sat at the table he was distracted by the different ambient in the house by the simple fact of Letty being there and started eating first, to which he received two loud “you didn't say grace!”. It really made him feel at home in that moment, so he thanked the food, the cars, his baby girl and the chance of getting back his friend.

\- I thought you weren't a religious person - said Letty while they enjoyed dinner.

\- Not much, but Amanda’s mother was and this was a nice tradition a learned from you guys, to always be grateful for the things we got. So I kept it, as you can see she likes it to be followed.

\- Of course daddy! So we don't forget the nice things, even if we’re having a bad moment - his daughter supplied - Grandpa said so even when he was really ill before he died.

\- Oh I’m sorry to hear that sweetheart, guess you’re happy that you now get to have an aunt?

\- An aunt!? Really? I would love to have an aunt! I only have two uncles: uncle Rome and uncle Tej, they’re cool but you're a badass! - Amanda said enthusiastically.

\- Yeah! You can call me Tía Letty and I'll teach you about american cars and some spanish too.

\- Oh I already know spanish but it's going to be great to practice with other than dad, his it’s not that good yet - she added forlornly.

\- How old are you again? And you know spanish? Your family doesn't look to be latina.

\- She’s 8, but she has a high IQ so she goes to a school that has advanced classes but try to keep the kids being kids even if they're really smart and skip normal years, so she likes to study languages and cars, obviously.

\- Wow, sounds like a handful -

\- Sometimes it can be, but she understands better my job and why I do it than other kids her age, right squirt? - he smiled proudly at his daughter and winked - besides my friend Rome helps whenever we need it and Tej comes often enough and teaches her lots of technological stuff to keep her entertained enough.

\- That’s good at least. You don't have any more family? - Letty asked pensively while we cleaned the table.

\- No, I was raised by my mom and she died when I was a tennager. Never knew my dad or his family. Growing up Roman was like my brother, we even ended up in juvie together, so he's the only family I had left. When I got in the police and he went to jail we kinda got apart, but we fixed everything doing the job in Miami for the feds that erased all our charges and finally let me come back to my daughter -

\- Wait, so you really went to juvie!? And what charges? How you ended up in Miami? - Letty barely breathing while launching one question after the other.

\- It’s quite the story, let me check on Amanda first and we can chat with some beers - he wasn't sure he was ready to open up so much of his life, but she was family and it would be nice that even one of them knew the whole truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't know when the next update will be but I'll try not to take too long.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short chapter, we're entering the Fast and Furious timeline now.
> 
> Hope you like it!

Luckily for him Amanda had already done her homework with her grandma, so she changed into her pyjamas and settled on her bed to read a book. Even though she still liked if he read to her at night it wasn't necessary now that she enjoyed juvenile novels, so he just had to took her in with a kiss to her curly head to feel like he was fulfilling the duties of a responsible dad.

When he got back to the kitchen he found Letty already washing the dishes like this was an everyday thing for them and that helped calm down his anxiety about the conversation they were going to have, despite everything he'd done she still considered Brian family, something he never believed he would get the chance to have again. Even less share it with his daughter, who deserved to have more people to give her love and that could take care of her if something ever happened to him, something that always worried him with his line of work.

Once Letty was finished washing they settled at the living room with a bottle of beer each. It wasn't easy to start but she was patient and waited him out. So he talked, about growing up without a father figure and losing his mom, about juvie and Rome, becoming a cop and finding out he was good at undercover work, the truck heist case and how he got sucked into the Toretto’s family and then everything went crashing down, fatherhood with the missing years and trying to make up for it, how being a good liar was good for his job but bad in real life specially when everything went to shit like it happened with them... they stayed talking quite late into the night with Letty telling him what they've been doing this past years on the run and how mad she was at Dom for leaving her behind when they were supposed to ride or die together (he was pretty sure that the next time she sees Dom he's going to get socked). That night they left the past behind and grew close in a way that he never thought they could be and part of the weight Brian had been carrying for 5 years was lifted from his shoulders giving him some peace.

The next couple of days he worked real hard to get added to the team working on the Braga case and make Letty his informant and possible undercover agent if they could strike the deal for Dom. It wasn't easy since the brass hadn't liked how Brian handled his last case, he just had returned from a disciplinary leave for that one, but he was a stubborn and tenacious ass so at some point they relented and let him in.

While he was busy Letty had finally gone and confronted Mia, who was really happy to see her, so she went to sleep at Echo Park but took dutifully to being Amanda's aunt so they saw each other almost everyday. What she told to Mia he wasn't sure, but she kept quiet about him and his little girl, they both agreed she probably was still mad at him, rightfully so, and it was safer for all if Mia didn't know what was going on.

His baby girl was thrilled to have a Tia and spent as much time with her as she could, much to Rome’s dismay who was insistent that he was the coolest uncle. Luckily they got on quite well and together they responded to every whim and call of his daughter.

When Mia wasn't home and he had some spare time he went and helped Letty with the Charger. He had gotten it back from the police impound once she asked about it and both were trying to bring it back to his former glory, much to Mia’s dislike apparently. It was almost like old times at DT’s, but now his daughter got to participate in it too, making him swell with pride at her desire to work in “uncle Dom"'s car and hear all the stories about the car, the garage and the crew they loved and missed so much.

A couple of weeks went by like this until his superior decided it was time to use Letty’s connections and see if they could make some headway since they already lost contact with two undercover agents (some people were worried they had a mole somewhere). Suddenly the nerves were back in full force and now doubly so, he was sending his friend, his sister, to a dangerous undercover gig, where it was almost impossible to assure effective back-up. But Letty was determined to do this so all he could do was have her back and pray that everything went well.

At first all went well, she easily won the race to get in the job and was free of doubt of being a fed what with her reputation on the race scene. It all went to shit the moment she went to the meeting point with the other drivers, they lost her signal and couldn't find her car with the traffic cams.

He was devastated when a couple of weeks later her car was found burned in a wreck near the Mexican border and her corpse in it. He just had gotten her back a couple of months ago and now she was dead. He didn't know what to do, how was he supposed to tell his daughter that she just lost another member of their small family? Oh god, how was he going to tell Mia!? And Dom, when he finds out it's going to become a mess, no doubt about that. And it was all his fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we'll finally see some Dom and probably some angst too.  
> I'll try to keep this weekly pace so you don't get bored.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dom hears about Letty's death and comes back to the states. Brian works hard trying to solve the case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we finally get some Dom! Sorry it's another short chapter but if I didn't post it now you'd have to wait at least another week since I'm quite busy this one.  
> Hope you like it, let me know what you think

Dom hadn't heard anything from Letty for months, since he left her in the DR to keep her safe, so receiving a call from Mia, who shouldn't been calling him in the first place, and hearing that the police just had notified of her death was a terrible shock. He didn't know how much time he stood there lost in his grief, reviewing all his past actions and mistakes that lead to this, to losing another precious member of their family.

When he finally got his head sufficiently clear to think he started planning how to get back to the states, he needed to find out what really happened to Letty, she wasn't supposed to be there and they didn't know yet how she died since the police said it was an open investigation. Luckily that meant that he had time to go home and pay his respects at her funeral, as much as that pained him. She deserved that at least.

Getting some fake documents to cross the border was easy enough with his contacts, but the week it took him to travel in his car wasn't good for his mind, but he needed to stop and sleep if he wanted to avoid a stupid car crash. And that meant Dom thoughts were constantly going over what could have gone wrong and caused Letty’s death, not knowing was a kind of torture on its own.

Luckily he arrived at LA with enough time to find a good spot where he could watch the funeral without being caught by the feds that clearly were staking out the place. He could see many race cars so he knew a lot of friends and family were saying their goodbyes, which was a relief if he thought about all the time they had been gone, so he at least was reassured that Mia wasn't going through it alone. Regret filled Dom once again, he should be there right next to her, sharing the grief of losing another member of their family, the woman he loved for many years, even though he had left her behind some time ago, thinking that would keep her safe.

He didn't know how he was gonna right his mistakes but he had to try, at least find out what really happened to Letty and make whoever killed her pay. Nobody hurt his family and got away with it, nobody.

\---------------

Brian had been having several terrible weeks since the news of Letty’s death had reached him. Not only he felt awful that he failed to give her back up and his case got her killed, Amanda was devastated. His baby girl had lost too many family members already, her Tia Letty another one she was gonna miss, this time it probably felt even worse because she just had been hanging around since a few months ago. Even Rome who had been jealous of her was really upset by her loss.

To make matters worse, he had to work at the funeral since the FBI was sure Dom was going to show up, as if he was stupid enough to get caught that way. Of course he was coming but wouldn't be easily spotted, although Brian had a hunch over where he was watching everything while he looked at the hill behind the cemetery, not that he was going to say anything to Stasiak about it, he didn't arrested Dom before he wasn't gonna do it now.

Even though they couldn't really be part of the service since they wouldn't be able to explain how they knew her without spilling out a lot of things Rome and Amanda were close by, intent on paying their respects to Letty. When everybody left, including the other feds assigned to keep watch, they all got close to her grave, said a soft prayer and left some flowers behind with their sorrowful goodbyes.

At work he put extra effort on the case, hoping to make some headway on the investigation of Braga and Letty’s murder. Even if the chase got him another reprimand from his superior, now he got a name: David Park, that hopefully would give them the in they needed to advance on the case and figure out what really happened to Letty.

Thanks to Rome and Amanda’s grandma taking care of his child he was putting a lot of extra hours in order to continue the investigation and make progress as fast as possible, since the brass was getting impatient and it was at risk of being abandoned, which would make almost impossible to get justice to Letty and his sister deserved at least that.

He worried that he was failing his daughter again when he had promised that he would never abandon her ever again, but she insisted that he had to do his job, that he was good at it, so he had to keep going and catch the culprit, for family. 

So he checked and filtered all the David Parks with help from Sofie Trinh, the only nice coworker he had, until he got the right one and went to find him. Only it wasn't David Park alone he found at his apartment, no, he got face to face with none other than Dominic Toretto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always some concrit is encouraged and I don't know when the next update will be.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally this chapter is ready! I'm so sorry I took so long to post it, I forgot the dinner scene in the previous one and got stuck for a while on how to insert that in this one.
> 
> Thanks to Moonlitreader whose small comment gave me the boost to renew my efforts to write this story.
> 
> I know where it's going, it's writing the in between that's hard.  
> Hope you're still interested in this

Before he could find Park he had to go to the office and there Brian discovered that Stasiak had brought Mia and was holding her in for more questioning, as if she would say anything that could lead them to Dom even if she knew something.  
He quickly made a phone call that would let her free of Stasiak’s presence and allow him to intervene so she wasn't there when he got back. It probably was gonna get him in some trouble but family was worth it, besides he owed it to her.

 

He wasn't sure what made him take her to a dinner, maybe his need for some breakfast food or, more likely, his need to make sure she was alright after this rough couple of weeks. She looked beautiful despite the tiring hours she must have spent being interrogated, just like he thought of Letty, the years were good on her, the more mature air around her making her even more attractive, but maybe he was biased, he always was when it came to the Toretto’s he thought remembering how imposing and attractive even Dom was in the old days.

\- What do you think you're doing Brian? I don't need your help you know - she scoffed at him.

\- Yeah, I know that you probably don't wanna see me but I had to make sure you were all right - he replied keeping his worried state to himself.

\- After what you did to us you don't have any right to get involved in my life - she was probably right but he couldn't let it go.

\- I know that I lied to you, lied to Dom, lied to everybody, it's what I'm good at, it's why the feds wanted me - and he was regretting it till this day that he was that good at lying, not taking the job because he would never have met them and anyone else would surely had sent them all to jail - I'm sorry I did that to you guys, it was really difficult to me but I was doing my job.

\- Well I'm sorry that ruining my family was so hard on you!!! - she angrily retorted at him - Maybe you're lying to yourself and you're just a bad guy pretending to be the good guy, ever think about that?

\- Everyday - he answered seriously.

Mia looked tired when she got up from the boot and went to the exit door.

\- You know, I never could figure it out... Why did you let my brother go? - she asked him turning around before leaving the dinner.

\- I don't know - he answered what was a half truth, because he hadn't wanted to look too closely to the reasons of why he did it, he wasn't sure what he'll find there and if he was ready to handle that kind of truth. After all the best lies are the ones laced with some truth and you believe yourself.

 

He was still thinking about that conversation when he arrived at Park's address and got distracted checking his car, so it took him a moment to realize what was happening up there when he heard the crash and the screaming and to get in motion and climb the stairs.

When he entered the apartment the last thing he expected to see was Dom dangling a guy of the window… with only one hand. Man, he was always strong but he appeared even more ripped now! And now he was internally drooling. “Brian get a grip on yourself” he internally chastised himself. Luckily he kept a cool face or as cool as you could expect while facing the man for whom he threw his police career down five years ago.

Luckily his years of training kicked in automatically so he was instantly aiming his gun and shouting at Dom to bring Park up, while trying to regain his calm. This was not the moment to get a trip down memory lane and all the repressed feelings he still has of that time.

He tried reasoning with Dom, that he let Brian handle the murder investigation, even gives some information so he believes him, although that was something really hard to happen with all their past history, but he had to try, he knows he'll never shoot him, he couldn't then, he can't now. 

In the end Dom gets away while he sprints for the window to catch Park before he falls 4 stories down, but he's pretty sure he'll see him again soon and he's not ready to face him yet.

\----------  
It was already night when Dom managed to slip by the cops surveillance and get to his old house. Despite the years he was gone still looks like he remembers it he thought with bittersweet nostalgia.

When Mia comes into the garage and they embrace for the first time in 5 years, it feels like a lifetime away for Dom. He holds his little sister with deep regret of the choices he made that lead to their separation and all the losses they've suffered.

He asks her to see the place where Letty died, she was too good a driver for her to get involved in a simple car accident, if it even was an accident, the police were still investigating after almost a month from her death, that right there smelled fishy even from afar.

There he sees the proof of what he already suspected, fool play was involved and it wasn't somebody he knew from the scene, five years is a long time to be gone from the fast pace of the races, where new blood is always trying to prove they're better than the rest, even when they don't.

The next couple of days he expends searching for the garage that makes the nitrometh mods, where he gets the answers he wants after reminding the guy who was LA street king and that his patience was really thin at the moment so better not mess with him and put him in a worse mood.

He goes to meet the contact that will lead him to Letty’s murderer and where to find him. But before he gets all the information he wants he gets confronted by another ghost of his past bad choices, none other than Brian fucking O'Conner.

He looked like a completely different person from the one he used to know wearing a dark suit with short darker hair, but who was he to know how the real Brian was like thought Dom with bitterness and betrayal still churning in his guts. After all that connection and spirit likeness was faked right? 

He tells him that he knows who Letty was running for, that he would take care of the matter, as if he would believe a fucking thing that traitorous pig said. After all he was clearly still wearing a badge. And how dare he talk about Letty being his friend too, that's bullshit! 

Dom is not going to let him interfere in his life, not again, so he hurriedly leaves the place and goes to get the car ready for the race that's in a couple of days, where he's gonna find the sonnabitch that killed Letty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully my next update won't take me so much time.
> 
> As always if you have some concrit I welcome it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well it took me barely a month to get this chapter ready, maybe the next one won't fight me so much.
> 
> I struggled with a couple of scenes, particularly the race! But I didn't want to skip them so I hope you like how it's going.
> 
> I would really like to have a beta, I'm pretty sure my tenses are a mess, but I have the same problem writing on my mother tongue so I hope it's not that bad :/
> 
> Thank you for your comments!! They gave me the push I needed to keep writing, lots of love for you <3

After his encounter with Dom that leaves him feeling slightly unsettled, Brian takes David Park to the bureau office to get all the information he has on Braga’s smuggling racers. There he has an encounter with a mad Stasiak, who's still pissed about his little ruse to get Mia out of his clutches, he wasn't gonna let be manhandled like that so he shoved him against a wall and gave him a hit with the knee on instinct. That leads him into receiving a warning from Penning since it's not the first time he gets into some argument that gets physical. At least the confrontation is useful and it makes a scared Park tell him everything he knows and that gets him the opportunity to enter the race.

Once he obtains his boss authorization he goes to prepare for the race, he takes advantage of the opportunity and gets some nice cars to modify them so he has the right ride.  
Since he doesn't know how long it's going to take him to be ready and then he'll be really busy with the race and finding more intel on Braga, he gets Amanda for the day and they go to the garage so she can help him with the mods necessary on the cars while spending some time together, after all what better father-daughter activity is there since they're both gearheads he thinks fondly. It's nice to see her enjoying this when they haven't seen each other as much time as they would like, thanks to this case keeping him real busy. But they wanted to catch Letty’s killer so some sacrifices had to be made.

When he finishes the car they go home where Rome's staying to take care of his little girl so they can have dinner and maybe he can get a couple hours of sleep too, he's pretty sure he won't be getting a lot of that in the next couple of days. After making sure Amanda is sleeping well he prepares and goes to the place where the race is set.

 

It felt great to be back on the street racing scene, Brian missed it a lot but he usually would stay away because he couldn't take the risk of getting caught doing it and get in even more trouble with his boss. He smiled while slowly driving between hot chicks and tuned cars searching for the spot where the race was going to start. Once he gets off his car a lean brunette approaches, she asks them if they're sent by Park and leads them to meet her boss. And Dom appears at that moment driving his Chevelle, of fucking course he does, he'd wished that he wouldn't interfere with his case but at the same time he kinda expected him to be there, this was the King’s place after all, even if he was gone for 5 years. With some luck on his side he won't have any problem getting in as a driver, but he can't count on that, not with Dom here, he's a lot better driver than he was when they last raced together but he was the best then and probably still is.

 

Giselle’s in charge of the drivers and introducing them to Campos and of course Dom has to do his own thing, without any care of what he's trying to achieve there. He understands his drive to find Letty’s killer, he really does, but getting in a macho fight won't get them anything useful. For a usually smart guy Dom gets quite dumb when he lets his emotions take control of his impulses, specially since they run so deep in him waiting to be let out. Brian still remembers how to him they were always clearly visible on his deep brown eyes and how entranced he was by them.

Fortunately his confrontation with Campos lead driver Fenix is short and they soon are being handed the GPS with the race route, so they focus on that.

When they get in their places for the race they end up next to each other, Brian is already jittery and ready to start when he gazes at Dom, inevitably attracting his attention.

\- Sure you wanna do this? - he said looking intensely back at him.

\- A lot has changed - answered Brian while he focused on feeling the smooth rumble of his car.

\- You're right - how many things were encompassed in that? How many things they didn't know about each other, from before and now. But at the same time this felt familiar, like they knew each other all their lives, like they didn't need to talk to understand what they were thinking. Which was part of the reason that he felt so guilty when he was lying to him about who he was, since at the deepest level he got him like nobody else ever had which was one of the reasons that finally lead to letting him go.

 

At first he thought he got the race going well, Dom was the best in straight quarter mile races, but Brian forte was this, waiving in between the cars involved in the heavy traffic, taking abrupt turns and speeding away, getting an adrenaline rush that he loved.

Then he had to make a sharp opening to evade a multiple car crash caused by another racer that lead him way off track but he wouldn't give up just like that, he was too stubborn for that and he had to win or he wouldn't get the in he needed to get the smuggling route so he could get Braga.

He finally was headed in the same direction than the others but was separated from the street below by a steep embankment and was getting out of options to get to the highway, “sorry car" he thought while he crashed the wooden fence and got back on the right path, right behind Dom and the other driver that kept deliberately sideswiping the Chevelle until Dom maneuvers out of the way of the next blow, causing the BMW to lose control and roll over. He barely manages to avoid the flipping car that smashes through a guard rail and goes flying off the side of the bridge by swerving narrowly next to the crash and keeps going.

In the final quarter mile he's going neck to neck with Dom and it feels great, exhilarating even, it reminded him of his undercover time and how good that felt, like that was the life he was born to. Racing with him always got his blood pumping. He's enjoying the exhilaration of surpassing him until Dom clips his rear and makes his car spin out and lose the race.

He was really pissed off, he never expected that Dom would use that trick, especially considering how his father had died, it seemed he was quite angry with him still and very determined to get and kill the culprit of Letty’s death so he had no qualms to use dirty moves.  
He left the place cursing loudly and wanting to knock that damn smirk off of his face, knowing he was still treating him like the “buster” of five years ago.  
Luckily he knew a way to get in, too bad for Dwight, he had it coming with his annoying comments. The drug charges weren't gonna stick, he just needed him out of the way for a couple of days.

They meet again the next night at the club. He goes after Dom as soon as he sees him get inside, abandoning his pool game without looking back and heading to the bar. He really is like gravity he thinks with despair, unable to resist the chance to be close to him and maybe talk without receiving serious injuries, after all he knew well what an enraged Toretto could do.

\- I wish I could say I'm surprised to see you here, but I know what's your job, unlike the rest of these people here - he commented while calmly drinking his beer.

\- If you know that then let me do it, we want the same thing: to catch the man who did this to Letty - he tried reasoning with Dom but didn't hold much hope on that, they had messed up with family after all.

They don't get the chance to discuss the issue further since Campos approaches and invites them to a semi private booth where they get more drinks and Dom makes him sweat with his barbs about jail and doing “real time”, making it visibly a really tense moment that gets Campos attention.

\- Do you know each other? - he asks suspiciously.

\- He used to date my sister - Dom says accusingly and that was a hard one to swallow and they both knew it. He had really cared for her and never wanted to break her heart nor his trust with her. It still hurts a lot and he can't seem to make peace with himself yet for ruining everything that he had with the Toretto team and family. So that verbal jab hits pretty deep and he's positive that Dom can tell it does.

\- You're a lucky man, you're still breathing - Campos says and they toast to the women they've loved and lost and thankfully lets it at that.

They talk about Braga, trying to get more intel on him but they only hear about his supposed goodness and humble beginnings from el barrio. How everybody there is loyal to him which they're obviously doubtful. They pretend to agree on everything until he gets called away. Brian takes this chance and goes to investigate the club and finds some private rooms where he watches Campos talking with an older man, who could be the elusive Braga so after they leave he gets the glass shots they were using.

 

Dom sees the buster going around on the club, looking for something cop related he would bet, he just hopes his snooping around doesn't get him in trouble too. He goes to do some of his own reconn and while he's on the dance floor with some hot chicks that he's ignoring he sees a service elevator. He takes it and that leads him to the garage where he finds what he was looking for and finds out to be Fenix’s car thanks to Giselle easy predisposition towards him. 

\- Just admiring the body work - he justifies his study of the green Ford Gran Torino.

\- Are you one of those boys who likes cars more than women? - she asks coyly with her rich accented voice.

\- I'm a boy who appreciates a good body regardless of the make - he said while admiring her lean body and thinking about another long and lean body, only this one was male and blond, probably sticking his nose in dangerous places right now and wasn't that part of what he found attractive too, that heads on risk taking impulse that he has.

\- And what would be the perfect one? - she seductively asks.

\- It starts with the eyes, when they look at you they cut through the bullshit, to the good in someone, 20% angel, 80% devil, down to earth, ain't afraid to get engine grease under their fingernails - he shares fondly, thinking of what he liked about Letty.

\- That doesn't sound anything like me - she seemed slightly disappointed by that.

\- It ain't - but maybe he wasn't describing only the woman he loved he thought, as clear ice blue eyes that he could recognize anywhere popped into his head briefly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well we're getting to the exciting parts! Lets see if I don't suffer so much writing what's next.
> 
> I think this is my longest chapter so far!
> 
> Any correction is welcomed since this isn't betaed


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I tried to post the chapter before the year ended but my tablet wasn't having it. So here it is, hopefully this year I'll be able to post more regularly.  
> Sorry for the long waiting, writer's block and real life made difficult to finish it but here it is!
> 
> Thanks to my lovely friend Di who agreed to be my beta for this story! 
> 
> Enjoy it!

The next day Brian does his best to spend some time with his daughter. Since she was enjoying summer holidays, they stayed on the garage fixing the bumps the car have had taken from the race, with her curiosity on overdrive asking everything she could about the investigation and its progress. After making and eating some fresh lunch together, he heads over to the FBI offices to update his boss on the information he was able to gather from the club swipe he made and bring the glasses for print analysis. He leaves them with Trinh to start an inter-agencies cross reference when he gets called for the Braga work. 

He hurriedly goes to the designated meeting point, ignoring his boss complaints about his speed and driving rule breaking, since the speed limit wasn't helping at all to get there fast.

When he arrives at the warehouse he sees several cars being scanned. He feels a second of panic before his training and cool, that made him so famous, set in. Those damn Fed trackers always get him in trouble. He hurriedly searches the device that luckily he put in a somewhat accessible place and barely managed to take it out and kill it in his can of energy drink on time.

Once they're all cleared, cars are placed inside a truck. The drivers get told that they'll see each other again in Mexico and get locked from the outside. Brian checks in his phone and, just like he expected, the signal of the device is obviously blocked. Now he can't call Penning to inform him not to call his baby girl to pass the time. Maybe he should stop avoiding the issue and go talk with Dom. They're going to be trapped for many hours inside this big ass can after all.

But what can he say right now that won't end in a really pissed off Toretto? There's nowhere to run to. He doesn't have all the answers they need, that's why they're here. He knows it's not the right time to say how much he regrets having lied to Toretto. About not doing it in the first place when he got to meet them, to become part of a family, to believe in that so much it changed his whole life and when he became a real dad, not just a sperm donor. He has to thank Dom for teaching him the important things in life, the ones that matter the most. Maybe once this case is over he'll have the chance, to say sorry, to introduce his precious daughter to the family she longs for, to make it right somehow. The other man deserves all that, guess he'll have to wait a bit more.

 

He's calmly waiting in his car for Campos’s thugs to finish the swiping on the cars when he sees the buster arriving. If Dom wasn't paying attention he would have missed the flash of apprehension on Brian's face that quickly got masked by that icy demeanor he remembers so well. Apparently he got to turn off whatever those blockheads surely put on the car since no alarm sounded. Toretto thought that the blond was smarter than that, he fooled him for months after all. 

Once settled inside the truck Dom is ready to try and get some shut eye for the next couple of hours when the two other drivers try to get him to play some cards with them, seems they're not so idiots since they left him alone without much fuss. He sees O’Conner watching him with a pondering face and for a moment he gets the feeling the other man is going to come closer and talk, but ultimately he doesn't. Honestly that's for the best, he's not in the mood to talk to him yet. He's still mad at the cop for deceiving them but he has to be honest with himself and admit that he had it coming, those heists they've been pulling were going to attract the police sooner or later. Maybe he's more mad at himself for trusting that reckless bastard with so much, for giving Brian pieces of himself that he never showed to people outside family let alone an almost stranger. 

But he hadn't felt like a stranger, not since that night running from the cops after the race, both giddy with adrenaline and the rush of the chase. It almost felt like finding a missing piece of his soul, or according to that preferred analogy of Mia, attracting a missing planet on his system, one that he needed to feel stable instead of drifting away. Like right now, drifting inside his car to Somewhere, Mexico, intending to catch Letty's killer.

He manages to stop brooding and actually sleeps for a few hours, not the best for his back but he's had worse. Once in Mexican soil the drivers disembark with their cars and there Giselle is waiting to give them the needed route for the GPS. While the smugglers get the drugs loaded in the car's trunks and they get ready to sprint at Giselle's command heading to the border.   
He's pissed off since Fenix isn't there and is quite obvious about it. But she assures him that once they're on the way, Fenix would take the lead while she gives any further instructions they might need by radio.

 

After the long hours of travel, and thank God that Amanda insisted on giving him sandwiches so he could eat homemade food at work, they finally get to their destination. They quickly get the cars loaded and got out at Giselle's order. Of course Dom tries to go after Fenix as soon as he appears to spearhead their convoy but they quickly have to get inside the tunnel before they're caught by customs, so he focuses on that. The chase is fast paced on a highly irregular terrain with no lights. They barely made it inside safely. There're lots of turns to keep track of and they have to be careful with the tight space inside the tunnel or they risk collapsing what appears to be an abandoned mine. 

When they exit that death's trap and get far enough of the border to get to the rendezvous point and stop, Braga’s men make them get out of the cars so they can start to unload the cargo. While Fenix starts yelling about their sloppy driving, he sees Dom taking his time getting out of his car. Knowing the bald man, that wasn't just macho posturing against the men and asserting his barely there compliance, Brian's gotta be really observant of the next move the other makes ‘cause he's sure something is gonna happen soon, probably including shots or explosions, most likely in that order if their past history repeats.

 

As soon as he leaves his rigged car behind Dom gets on Fenix's face asking about Letty, his anger thrumming under his skin waiting for the chance to be let out of control, to let go of all that grief and rage. Of course the sonofabitch gloats about remembering her, knowing she was a snoop sent by the feds, making her car flip and finally killing her himself.

Before he gets the chance to smash his head in, his car explodes followed by all the others cars in quick succession, all hell breaks loose and the shooting begins. So he dodges bullets at the same time he has to fight with the men that cross on his way to catch Fenix.

Sidelong he can see that O'Conner has quickly got his hands on at least one of the guns and shooting at Campos’s men covering his back and taking them down before they shoot them. It's strangely comforting to know that, no matter what happened in the past, the lies, the truths he's not sure about, everything else losses importance with this definite knowledge: Brian has his back, always did and apparently he'll keep having it. 

Between all those thoughts running through his mind and the fight he barely feels the shot on his shoulder and next thing he sees is the blonde driving an SUV and shouting at him to get in the car, just like he did all those years ago. And just like the first time they were in the same car, running away trying to not get caught, they get out of there riding the adrenaline high of the chase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual I'm not sure when I'll update next but the chapter is at least half written and having a beta should help with editing faster.
> 
> Comments are always welcome!

**Author's Note:**

> I'll try to post every couple of weeks or monthly at least.  
> If you'd like to be my beta pleace tell me so!


End file.
